Desk trays and the like



July 14, 1959 B. BGELOW 2,894,640

DESK TRAYS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 19, 1955 Z a v INVENTOR. f/ fli mzz yz ilk/7243a United States Patent DESK TRAYS AND THE LIKE Bryant Bigelow, Boston, Mass.

Application December 19, 1955, Serial No. 553,851) 1 Claim. (Cl. 211126) This invention relates to improvements in desk trays and the like. More particularly, the invention provides improved means whereby individual desk trays, or the like, may be more effectively and quickly combined into plural tray units, with one or two or more upper trays supported in predetermined spaced relation to a base tray.

Hence, it is among the objects of my invention to provide uniform individual desk trays having special corner constructions whereby the individual trays may be quickly and effectively combined and tiered to provide plural tray units having any desired number of individual trays supported in suitably spaced relation, one above another. According to the invention, the two rear corners of each tray are provided exteriorly with flat angular sockets, and angular bracket supports are insertible into corresponding corner sockets of two adjacent trays for rigidly supporting an upper tray in predetermined spaced relation to a lower tray.

Another object of the invention is to provide a desk tray socketed corner structure whereby individual trays may be effectively tiered by angular insert brackets located at only two corners of the trays and which rigidly support the upper tray or trays in proper alignment and in predetermined spaced parallel relation.

A further object of the invention is to provide uniform individual desk trays which may be combined to have plural tray units in which each upper tray is supported at only two corners by angular corner sockets and posts which are entirely exteriorly of the trays.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide individual desk trays having rear corner sockets for reception of angular corner posts which are self-guiding into the corner sockets.

It is, moreover, my purpose and object generally to improve desk trays and the like and more especially desk trays which may be easily and quickly combined to produce plural and multiple desk tray units.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a desk tray unit embodying features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the rear portion of one of the trays of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of a rear corner portion of the upper tray of Fig. 1, a portion of the corner socket wall being broken away;

Fig. 4 illustrates, in perspective, the two supporting brackets or posts of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 illustrates, in perspective, the two insert trim members for the upper ends of the sockets of the uppermost tray of an assembled unit, or for the upper ends of the sockets of trays which are used singly.

Referring to the drawing, the particular tray unit illus-i trated in Fig. 1 has two generally similar trays 10, 12, of which the upper tray 12 is removably mounted on and f supported in predetermined spaced relation above the base tray 10.

but preferably will be of sheet metal stock formed to The trays 10, 12 may be made of any suitable material r "ice provide each tray with a bottom wall 14, two generally parallel side walls 16, 18, and a rear end wall 20. The front end of each tray is open for getting access to the interiors of the trays. As shown, the bottom wall 14 of each tray has forwardly extending portions at 15 which are turned downwardly and rearwardly to provide feet 22 on which the forward end of an individual tray, or a base tray, may rest, with a conventional cushioning button 24, of rubber or the like, removably mounted in each foot 22. Generally similar cushioning buttons 26 may be permanently secured to the under side of each tray, at the rear corner regions thereof, so that any individual tray, or the base tray of any plural tray unit, may be supported on a desk, or other support, with the buttons 24, 26 intervening between the tray and the support.

When trays are combined to provide plural tray units, the buttons 24 at the forward end of each upper tray readily may be removed.

According to my invention, each of the two rear corners of each tray is provided exteriorly with an angular narrow socket which is formed between a metal strip 28 and portions of the adjacent side and rear end walls of the tray. Each strip 28 extends around a rear corner of the tray with one end 28 secured, as by spot welding, in fiatwise engagement with the adjacent side wall of the tray and with its other end 28 similarly secured to the rear end wall of the tray, as best seen in Fig. 2. The side and end walls 16, 18 and 20 are exteriorly plane throughout their height at the corner locations of said strips 28. Angular posts or brackets 30, 32 (Fig. 4) have opposite reduced end parts 31, 33 for slidably engaging in the corner sockets of two associated trays, the said reduced end parts providing shoulders 31, 31" and 33, 33 which limit the amount that a post may enter into a socket. Also, the said shoulders have extent for coaction with adjacent edges of the secured strip ends 28 and'28f'. In Fig. 3, it will be seen that the upper reduced end portion 33 of post 32 extends slightly less than half way through the corner socket with one of the shoulders 33' engaging a lower edge portion of strip end 28 at the side of the tray. The other shoulder 33' similarly engages a lower edge portion of strip end 28" at the rear end of the tray. If it be desired to mount a third tray above the tray 12, the lower reduced end of another post 32 may be inserted downward into the socket of Fig. 3 for coaction with another post 30 in supporting the third tray. Obviously, a unit having as many trays as desired may be built up by employing a suitable number of the posts 30, 32.

The upper open ends of the sockets of the uppermost tray preferably will be decoratively closed by the small angular inserts 34, 36 of Fig. 5, one of which is shown in place in Fig. 3 at 36, and both being represented in place in Fig. l at 34- and 36, respectively.

It is a feature of importance that the socket strips 28 have width somewhat less than the height of the tray walls at the locations of the strips. This permits location of the lower edges of the strips above the plane of the bottom of a tray and location of the upper edgesof the strips below the top edges of the tray walls around corner portions of which the strips 28 extend. As a result, an end of a post 30 or 32 may be engaged against the plane exterior surfaces of the tray walls adjacent an upper or lower edge of a socket strip 28 for guiding the end of the post into a corner socket. Also, it should be apparent that the narrow and angular shape of each socket, and the complementary angular shape of the snugly fitting seated end portions of the posts augmented by the described shoulder engagements at 31, 31" and 33', 33" provide rigid support for an upper tray notwithstanding that only two rear corner posts or brackets are employed for supporting the upper tray.

The length of the posts or brackets 30, 32 may be varied as may be desired to suit particular preferences as to spacing of associated trays. In every case, however, the corner sockets and posts are entirely exteriorly or" the tray or trays, leaving the tray interiors smooth and clear for reception of papers and other items and materials that may be placed in them.

Various changes may be made in the details of my disclosed invention within the scope of the appended claims, and it is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

A desk tray unit comprising a plurality of generally rectangular trays in generally parallel spaced relation, one above another, each said tray having a bottom wall, two generally parallel side walls, and a single end wall connecting the side walls and forming therewith two corners of the tray, said side and end walls of each tray having substantial vertical extent at the said corners and having plane exterior surfaces throughout their said vertical extent, a strip of rigid material extending exteriorly around each of the two said corners of each tray, each said strip having width only slightly less than the height of said side and end Walls at said corners of the trays, and the lower edge of each strip being located slightly above the plane of the bottom surface of the tray with which it is associated, and the upper edge of each strip being located slightly below the top edge of the end wall of the tray with which it is associated, and each said strip having one substantial portion of its length in spaced parallelism with the adjacent side wall of a tray and having another substantial portion of its length in spaced parallelism with the adjacent end wall of a tray, opposite end portions of each said strip being rigidly secured in fiatwise engagement respectively with said adjacent side and end walls of a tray whereby an angular socket is provided at each of said corners of each tray, a rigid post extending between corresponding corners of a lower and an upper tray, each said post having a cross-sectionally angular end part fitting snugly in a said angular socket, and each having a pair of shoulders adjacent each said end part for coaction each with an edge of a different one of said rigidly secured fiatwise engaged end portions of a said strip thereby to limit the permissible extent of a said end part of a said post within a said socket to not more than one half of the width of a said strip and to stabilize the corner supports of each post-supported tray.

References Cited in the file of this patent Ul ITED STATES PATENTS 1,957,153 Smiley May 1, 1934 2,103,106 Yurkovitch Dec. 21, 1937 2,235,709 Hearn et a1. Mar. 18, 1941 2,276,121 Thorn et al. Mar. 10, 1942 2,360,218 Gavin Oct. 10, 1944 2,575,919 Kautzmann et al. Nov. 20, 1951 2,677,470 Catalano May 4, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 318,383 Great Britain Sept. 5, 1929 

